Silence in the face of slander

The article “Citing ‘core beliefs,’ 40 Orthodox clergy condemn Trump’s ‘hateful rhetoric,’ Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz among leaders of effort” (posted on jewishaz.com, Aug. 22) made me wonder why I hear only relative silence from our Jewish leaders and rabbis when there are many slanders against Israel, our Jewish heritage and Jews, in our country and around the world?

At the Democratic National Convention, the Rev. Barber’s speech calling “Jesus a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew” is factually incorrect slander that the Palestinian Arabs use against Israel in rewriting their own false narrative, whose goals are to erase Jewish 3,000-year history and invent false Palestinian, Muslim and Arab histories in this land, yet I did not hear a word from these “40 Orthodox clergy” or any local rabbis repudiating this hate speech against Israel. Where were your voices?

Regardless of your politics, Sen. Bernie Sanders has aligned himself openly with the BDS fascist mob and stood with the likes of Danny Glover, an outspoken BDS proponent and Israel basher, yet you have not issued any condemnation. Attorney Alan Dershowitz and the Zionist Organization of America, in contrast, have stood firmly against this. Where are your voices?

Black Lives Matter is increasingly anti-Semitic, yet I hear only ... silence. Where are your voices?

Dershowitz’s voice is heard loudly. He writes, “In a recently issued ‘platform,’ more than 60 groups that form the core of the Black Lives Matter movement went out of their way to single out one foreign nation to accuse of genocide and apartheid … (Israel) ... Until and unless Black Lives Matter removes this blood libel from its platform and renounces it, no decent person – black, white or of any other racial or ethnic background – should have anything to do with it.”

The article rightfully condemned Trump for his disrespectful comments about the Khans’ loss, however, to ignore these offenses against Jews and Israel, yet somehow feel a need to openly stand up for Khan, out of all people, is baffling. Khan’s waving the Constitution and going on talk shows lecturing us about democracy is dishonest. While his son’s loss should be respected, Khan is not a poster child for democracy. He has written extensively in favor of Shariah (Islamic law), has past ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and extensive ties to the Saudis, who are not known for being Israel- or Jew-lovers.

Gaza and the Palestinian Authority send children to summer terror training camps, celebrate and financially reward terrorists, refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and teach Jew hatred in their schools and media. Where are your voices raised against this?

Our State Department recently issued a report detailing the anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the Middle East and Muslim countries, yet I do not hear your collective voices raised in alarm about how this growing, institutionalized Jew hatred is spreading like a cancer and lays the seeds for another holocaust.

It’s fine to stand up for others. It is in keeping with Jewish values. However, when the entire world is becoming increasingly anti-Semitic, with Jews fleeing Europe, Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe on campus, with Israel being demonized on a daily basis, we should first be hearing your collective voices raised in “core belief” outrage on these issues.

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